Chicago Officials On Rental-car Gift List

May 16, 1986|By Maurice Possley and Robert Davis.

A prominent Chicago lawyer who provided free rental cars for convicted Cook County Circuit Court Judge Richard F. LeFevour also arranged free or discount rentals for several other judges, former Mayor Jane Byrne and more than a dozen current or former high-ranking city officials, according to documents filed with the Illinois Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, acting on a petition filed by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission earlier this week, has ordered that the attorney, Oscar D`Angelo, show why he should not be suspended temporarily from practicing law.

The petition charges that D`Angelo, who represented Avis Rent A Car, parceled out free and discounted rental cars--conduct that has ``had a profoundly detrimental effect on the legal profession and the judiciary.``

The commission declared in the petition, ``Persuasive evidence exists which demonstrates that (D`Angelo) acted to compromise the independence of the judiciary and the integrity of government in Chicago.``

D`Angelo, a highly-paid lawyer, was described by City Hall regulars Thursday as a ``hail fellow well met`` and a ``good soul`` who liked doing favors.

In some instances, according to those who received cars, the offer of a rental car at a discount or as a gift came about through casual conversation when a traveler would mention an upcoming vacation. D`Angelo then would offer to arrange for a car, according to the documents.

The commission`s petition contains a list of city officials and Circuit Court judges who allegedly benefited from D`Angelo`s largesse during his work for Avis.

Among those described as obtaining cars through D`Angelo are Judges John Hechinger, James Murphy, Allen Rosin, Aubrey Kaplan, Frank Siracusa and Richard Jorzak.

According to the court documents, D`Angelo apparently helped arrange car rentals for Byrne and some top officers in her administration.

They included Anthony Fratto, Byrne`s city comptroller now in private business; Gilbert Cataldo, housing department director who now is general manager of the Illinois Regional Port Authority; William Duggan, former commissioner of inspectional services; Martin Murphy, former city planning commissioner; John McCaffrey, former assistant corporation counsel who now is in the Illinois attorney general`s office; Edward Quigley, former city sewer commissioner; Edwin Gausselin, a former first assistant corporation counsel who now is deputy general counsel for the Chicago Transit Authority; David Schulz, former top Byrne aide who now works in the Milwaukee County government; Thomas Kapsalis, former city aviation commissioner; former Ald. Eugene Ray (27th); Richard Brzeczek, former police superintendent; and Michael Coletta, longtime Chicago City Council sergeant at arms.

The petition was made public after D`Angelo`s lawyers, Philip W. Tone and William D. Heinz, made an unsuccessful attempt to seal the entire file. Tone would not comment Thursday.

The lawyer`s disciplinary commission, which is responsible for investigating alleged lawyer misconduct, said in the documents that the commission ``has initiated appropriate investigations to determine whether or not any attorneys have violated the Code of Professional Responsibility`` in receiving discounted or free rental cars or any other consideration from D`Angelo or his former law firm, Friedman & Koven.

During the federal Operation Greylord trial last year of LeFevour, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for taking thousands of dollars in bribes to fix parking tickets, prosecutors revealed that D`Angelo and Friedman & Koven had picked up $2,500 in car rental bills accumulated by LeFevour on trips to New Orleans, Ireland and Florida.

At the time, D`Angelo was representing Avis in a major lawsuit before LeFevour over whether Avis was liable for parking tickets issued to customers. After LeFevour`s trial, the lawyers` commission began its investigation that led to the petition against D`Angelo.

Publicity over D`Angelo`s involvement with LeFevour was the subject of heated debate within Friedman & Koven, where he was a key partner earning about $300,000 annually. It was one of several reasons for the recent dissolution of the 110-lawyer firm, one of the largest such break-ups. D`Angelo is now with the firm Altheimer & Gray.

Under Illinois Supreme Court rules, an attorney is prohibited from giving or lending anything of value to a judge, except for campaign contributions.

The petition also suggests that D`Angelo may have had good reason to provide cars for city officials since he was ``actively practicing real estate and commercial law in Chicago.``